the debt ceiling increased the authority to borrow more money -- increase, the authority to borrow more money is all about future spending, which is part of the reason why some of us think this is a very sensible moment to try to bring some discipline to that future spending. and what would happen if we don't raise the debt ceiling right away? well, if we don't, we would have to have a 25% cut in all government spending, and that's -- that's pretty massive. that's pretty problematic. now, the administration and some actually go way overboard in the threats that they attach to this. they threaten to inflict the maximum possible economic damage if the debt ceiling isn't raised promptly upon the point at which they run out of their maneuvering room. so you hear threats about default on our debt and senior citizens won't get their social security check and our military folks won't get paid, all kinds of the most disruptive, most damaging and most dangerous kinds of outcomes are threatened by the administration. now, this is unnecessary, this isn't true, this isn't what would happen, but the